CASSETTE FOR RECORDING MEDIUM

A cassette for storing a recording medium which may be selectively extracted from and returned to the cassette. An eyelet is attached to a leader of the recording medium for providing a means to grasp the recording medium and extract it from the cassette. A spring-biased latch arm clutches the eyelet and retains it in its home position when the cassette is not in position on an associated tape deck. When tape is extracted from the cassette, the latch arm pivots and an extension of the latch arm enters an aperture in the frame of the tape deck to inhibit removal of the cassette from the deck. The tape deck includes first and second sensors for sensing the presence or absence of first or second apertures in the cassette. One or more of the cassette apertures may be selectively blocked to provide information to the associated equipment indicative of selected characteristics of the cassette and/or of the recording medium contained therein. In addition to providing a latching function, the latch arm, in the pivoted position, may operate a switch indicative of the fact that recording medium has been extracted from the cassette.